Crosslinked vinylpyrrolidone polymeric powder has been prepared by proliferous polymerization at high temperatures with vigorous agitation as described for example in copending patent application Ser. No. 057,378, filed May 6, 1993 for COLORLESS, PURIFIED, POLYMERIZABLE COMPOSITION USEFUL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CROSSLINKED POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,082,910; 5,130,388 and 5,015,708 also describe processes for crosslinking vinyl lactam polymers. However, the powder products obtained by these processes are not amenable to extrusion or to the formation of membranes or continuous, thin film protective coatings.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a curable crosslinked vinyl lactam polymer in the form of a filament or film which is coated on a substrate or extruded to form a product having a high Tg and water repellency.
Another object of the invention is to provide microthin protective coatings which have superior adhesion to a substrate.
Still another object is to provide an economical and commercially feasible process for preparing the film or filament products of a crosslinked vinyl lactam polymer hydrogel.
Yet another object is to provide a strong, adhesive membrane which is non-irritating to the skin and which can be used to cover wounds and the like.
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description and disclosure.